Elizabeth Sue Crouse Wilson

Posted on April 5, 2021

Elizabeth Sue Crouse Wilson, age 89, passed away peacefully on March 28, 2021, in Jupiter surrounded by her children and grandchildren. 

Sue was born on April 19, 1931, in Bradford, Tenn., to the late Grover C. and Clara Kate Jewell, and lived most of her younger years in Rutherford, Tenn. 

Rutherford was a small cotton farming community where she lived as a child and worked with her seven siblings on the farm.  All of Sue’s siblings have passed, except a younger brother, Buddy Jewell, who still resides in Tennessee.

During high school, Sue was crowned queen of her high school beauty pageant two years in a row in 1947 and 1948.   

Sue and her first husband, Max Crouse, moved to Perry in 1953 when Max was transferred to begin start-up of the P&G Buckeye Cellulose plant where he worked as an electrician.

Sue became a friend to many early on in Perry, and took pride in raising her children in the warmth and sunshine of Taylor County that she called home all her life.

Having lost Max in a horrific car accident in 1967 (that almost took her own life at the young age of 36) her strength and resilience came from her faith in God, family and a need to keep them together.  

She was all about her children and their friends and family. Always willing to stay up late and entertain anyone that wanted to visit, she was happiest when the house was filled with everyone’s love and laughter.

Affectionately known by all as Mama Sue and/or Gma, she treated all as she did her own.  

Sue married her current and surviving husband, Bill Wilson, in 1994. Bill was also from the same area of Tennessee where she was raised and was a close friend of her older brothers when they were all growing up.

Bill and Sue were known to do a lot of traveling and exploring, visiting family and friends from Tennessee to Ft Lauderdale, the Bahamas and abroad.

From the home she so loved in Perry, she and her dear friend, Debbie Bird, made jelly with grapes from her backyard vine and cooked her favorite meals for family and friends.

There were many early mornings she could be found at the stove at 3 a.m. cooking breakfast for her son, David, before he headed out of town to work, or staying up until 1 or 2 a.m. when expecting Ed, Marji or Karen to roll into town for a visit. 

Her favorite past-time was going out to eat at her most cherished place, Deals Oyster House, where she was once or twice known to play the famous PoGo stick to the tune “Cotton-Eyed Joe” and smiling so big while the grandchildren roared in laughter. 

She was a longtime member and raised her children at First Baptist Church of Perry where she also worked as church secretary until her retirement in 1996. 

Gma touched a lot of lives and she will be greatly missed by all who had the honor and privilege of knowing her. 

She was a loving mother of four children: Edwin Crouse, Karen Akra, Marji Rendina and David Crouse; 13 grandchildren who adored her, Richie, Michael and David Rendina; Katherine and Joey Akra and Kristina Akra Fitzpatrick; Rory Chapman, Jeffrey and Brianna Crouse; Gena Crouse English, Hannah and Jordan Crouse and Abbey Agner; and 17 wonderful and energetic great grandchildren she dearly loved (and one on the way).

She had many “adopted” children she called her own as well and one especially special to her, Carla Stanley Leggett of Nashville, Tenn.  She also shared a fur baby with Papa Bill named Daisy. 

A memorial and celebration of life service will be held at the First Baptist Church of Perry at a later date.

Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at her home at 803 West Ash Street, Perry, Florida 32347, or e-mail to GmaSympathyCard@outlook.com.